Hitachi reveals touchscreen stylus

Hitachi Displays brings input options for capacitive screens.

Hitachi Displays has shown of a capacitive touchscreen display that can also be used with a stylus for making notes or while wearing gloves.

According to Hitachi, which presented the devices at the FPD International 2010 tradeshow, the display enables data input from any non-conductive device, for the first time in capacitive touch-panels - such as those found in iPads and many mobile phone handsets.

Stylus input was previously possible only in resistive touch-panels.

“The screen can be operated with a plastic stylus, gloved hand, or other non-conductive object,” Hitachi said. “With this touch-panel, information entered with a non-conductive object is converted to electrostatic capacitance.”

Capacitive displays work by detecting changes in current stimulated by the users jabbing or sliding their fingers across the screen.

Hitachi claimed the advance did not compromise the display’s responsiveness to light touch, which is used to navigate on touch screens.

According to the company, a stylus with a 0.8mm tip is accurate to within 0.5mm on screen, making note taking and annotation feasible, and the technology should be available for manufacturers in the second half of next year.

This article originally appeared at pcpro.co.uk